The Philippine Basketball Association's biggest pick-up game looks like an RP Team thing.

Just look at the names. Danny Seigle will be there, Asi Taulava will be there, Dondon Hontiveros will be there and so will Jimmy Alapag, Kerby Raymundo, Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand and Ranidel de Ocampo.

Those eight stars of the RP Team that will try to earn the country a spot in the 2008 Beijing Olympics are taking a break from training to provide anchor for the North and South All-Star teams next weekend in Baguio City .

To add a bit of drama to what already is expected to be an exciting and thrilling All-Star week, Alaska's Tim Cone and Barangay Ginebra's Jong Uichico – who worked the Philippine Team the last two Asian Games – will be handling the reins for the two star-studded teams.

Uichico, who called the shots for the Nationals in the 2002 Busan Games, has not lost in his first two coaching stints in the All-Star Game. Will he be able keep the streak going? We'll see on April 29 at the University of Baguio hardcourt.

During his coaching debut in the league's mid-season spectacle in 2001, Uichico led the Veterans to 112-105 victory over the RSJ team, then orchestrated the South to a 122-120 squeaker against the North last year in Cagayan de Oro.

Unfortunately, the Ginebra chieftain won't be calling the shots for the South that is seeking a second straight win. Instead he will be working for the North which has Caguioa, Helterbrand, Raymundo, Danny Ildefonso and Rommel Adducul as starters.

Also in the North Team that is heavy with scoring guards are De Ocampo, Enrico Villanueva, Larry Fonacier, Gary David, Willie Miller, John Arigo and Mark Cardona.

In contrast, Cone will be working with a team that is a mixture of 3-point shooters and slam dunk artists.

Seigle, the top vote getter among the starters, leads the South that also has Taulava, Hontiveros, Eric Menk and James Yap for its first five.

Cone, who matched Derick Pumaren's record of five coaching appearances in an All-Star Game, hopes to improve his 4-1 record that includes a two-game sweep by the RP Centennial Team of the import-reinforced All-Star Selection in 1998.

Taulava, who is making his seventh All-Star stint, will be aspiring for a personal record by trying to win a second straight All-Star MVP trophy and third overall. He shared the honor with teammate Jimmy Alapag in Cebu in 2005.

The 2007 PBA All-Star Extravaganza is a five-day event hosted by San Fernando, La Union and Baguio City and supported by Victory Liner, San Miguel Corp., Air21, Accel, Coke, Pagcor, PCSO and World of Fun.

San Fernando, La Union hosts the Skills Events and the Blitz Game (Rookies versus Sophomores) while Baguio plays host to the featured All-Star Game. (DBC)

The Philippine Basketball Association has pooled together the league's best jam artists for the 2007 PBA All-Star Week with high flyer Nino Canaleta aspiring for a third straight Slam Dunk title.

This year's Slam Dunk contest promises to be doubly exciting and thrilling as Canaleta faces the toughest field ever assembled for this competition.

Leading the challenge to foil Canaleta's bid to become the first player to win the event thrice in a row is the same former champion whom Canaleta beat out for the crown last year.

Red Bull's Cyrus Baguio seeks payback against the Air21 forward as he leads an array of known jammers entered in the competition that serves as one of the side events of the annual classic made possible by Victory Liner – the league's official carrier.

Talk N Text's Anthony Washington and freshmen Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia, Arwind Santos of Air21 and Alaska's Aaron Aban are among the players strewn on the path of Canaleta's attempt at history.

The cities of San Fernando, La Union and Baguio are hosting this year's All-Star festivities set April 25-29 with Air21, Accel, Pagcor, PSCO, Coke and World of Fun as sponsors.

A champion dunker even during his collegiate and amateur days, the 6-foot-6 Canaleta successfully took his act to the pros two years ago when he beat Enrico Villanueva in a dunk-off to win the title during the 2005 PBA All-Stars in Laoag.

Last year in Cagayan de Oro, he humbled Baguio, the 2004 dunk champion, in a tightly fought final to retain his crown and become the first back-to-back winner of the event since Vergel Meneses did the trick in 1992 and 1993.

Baguio gets a second shot at Canaleta this season, while Washington, Santos, Williams and Aban will also be trying their best to wrestle the title from the defending champion.

Williams, the do-it-all rookie forward tabbed by the Realtors as the season's No. 1 overall pick, is also expected to give Canaleta a run for his money.

The 6-foot-6 Fil-Am out of Detroit already gave fans a glimpse of his dunking ability when he slammed the ball hard off a perfect alley-oop play from former teammate Alex Cabagnot during his debut game in the league.

That he jammed the ball face-to-face with Canaleta certified Williams' status as a wise bet to crowd out the two-time champion for the slam dunk title.

"That was a wait-for-the-next-dunk play," was how Williams described the spectacular play. (DBC)

watched the game between Purefoods and Red Bull yesterday.. where Purefoods won inspite the early ejection of Chandler and an excellent 36 point performance of james Yap.

At the course of the halftime break i think, it was aanounced that there will be a RP NT - ALL PBA IMPORT game on May 8 at 7 at Araneta colliseum. I also learned that the PBA are giving The 5 peso general admission proceeds for the RP NT. Ill definitely watch that game:)

Wat are ur predictions of the game. And what caliber does a PBA ALL import team have? comparing them to other international leage teams?

looking at it mukhang maganda ang laban except for the fact that the imports are not used to play with each other... medyo magkakaproblem din cguro sila sa executions dahil overloaded sila ng forward and they lack PGs

sayang mark made it to the finals, but scored only 12 for the round.... tubid also performd well, kinapos lang.... jayjay did well sa assignment nya, winning dat Shooting Stars event... congrats to the rest of the guys nd gud luck sa mga darating pang events...

By WAYLON GALVEZ

SAN FERNANDO, La Union – Dondon Hontiveros became the new three-point shootout king while Willie Miller retained his obstacle course championship in yesterday’s PBA All-Star Week at the Pacoy Ortega Gym here.

Hontiveros, the sweet-shooting San Miguel Beer guard, made his first three shots in the finals while nailing 3 of the 5 money balls worth two points on his way to tallying 16 points in the finals.

Feeling the pressure of surpassing Hontiveros’ output, Miller, who also competed in the three-point contest, missed his first four shots before nailing the money ball in the first rack.

Miller, the versatile Alaska guard who topped the eliminations with 19 points, waxed hot between the second and third racks.

But when he needed it most, Miller missed several attempts down the stretch, including the crucial money ball in the final rack that could have given him the championship together with his obstacle title.

He finished with 15 points.

"Expected na talagang magiging dikit ang laban," said Hontiveros, who entered the finals with his 16 points in the eliminations. He received a plaque and the winner’s check of P20, 000.

The other finalists were Gary David of Air21 and Barangay Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa, who scored 14 and 12 points, respectively, in the finals.

Last year’s champion William Antonio of Coca-Cola was booted out after making just 11 points in eliminations, while event favorite Renren Ritualo of Talk ’N Text scored only 10 points.

Miller also received P20, 000.00 for retaining the obstacle course title, where he completed the challenge with the fastest time of 30 seconds, beating David by just a second in the finals.

In the trick shot event, Sta. Lucia Realty playmaker Dennis Miranda bagged the title, making a tough 360-degree, reverse lay-up that was actually the challenge put up by Ronald Tubid of Barangay Ginebra.

Tubid missed the shot, as well as Air21’s Ranidel de Ocampo.

In the Shooting Stars event, Team 2 of Jayjay Helterbrand of Ginebra, Dominic Uy of ABC5 and San Fernando councilor Panding Nisce defeated Team 1 of Mick Pennisi of Red Bull, ABC5’s Richard del Rosario and councilor Pablo Ortega.

Currently being contested at presstime is the Slam Dunk competition where, Air21 forward Nino Canaleta of hopes to become the first player to win a third straight title.

Right after the slam dunk is the Blitz Game between the rookies and sophomore.

Meanwhile, the PBA All-Star festivities head for Baguio City today.

The country’s "Summer Capital" will host the Legends three-point shootout and the main event All-Star Game between the North and South teams on Sunday at the University of Baguio Gym.

SAN FERNANDO, La Union – A new king reigned supreme, a new record established, one title successfully defended and a stranglehold broken.

That’s the 2007 PBA All-Star Week in its slam-bang initial salvo.

The Rookies ended the Sophomores’ winning tradition in the Blitz Game, fashioning out a 122-107 rout in the main feature of the All-Star Thursday watched by an overflowing crowd at the Pacoy Ortega Gymnasium here.

Earlier in the skills events, KG Canaleta won an unprecedented third straight slam-dunk crown, Willie Miller repeated as obstacle challenge winner while Dondon Hontiveros emerged as the new three-point king.

The trick shot contest, also ruled by Miller last year in Cagayan de Oro, went to Denok Miranda of Sta. Lucia this time.

The trio of Ginebra guard Jayjay Helterbrand, ABC5’s Dominic Uy and city councilor Panding Nisce also seized the spotlight by beating the team of Mick Pennisi, ABC5’s Richard del Rosario and councilor Pablo Ortega in the Shooting Stars contest.

Santos, the second overall pick in the most recent Rookie Draft, scored a game-high 31 points, leading the Rookies to a breakthrough triumph over the Sophies in the Blitz Game introduced in Laoag City in 2005.

LA Tenorio, Jay-R Reyes, Mark Andaya, Joseph Yeo, Gabby Espinas and Jireh Ibanes each added at least 11 points for the Freshmen who got off to a jackrabbit start and never looked back to complete the one-sided victory.

Tenorio had eight points and Santos six in a 23-6 start that set the tone of the match early.

But that wasn’t the case in the skills events.

Hontiveros ruled the PBA All-Star three-point shootout in his third try, beating Miller by the thinnest of margins, 16-15, in the finals.

Taking a break from training with the RP team, Hontiveros, third placer in 2005 and eighth in 2004,
totaled 16 points in a performance in the finals he marked with conversion of three money balls, including the final one capping a four-point production in the fifth and last rack.

The San Miguel hotshot, shooting third to last in the finale, went on to win the contest in stunning fashion as Miller, the last man to shoot, missed his final shot and finished with 15.

Air21’s Gary David, the leader among the locals in scoring in the current PBA Fiesta Cup, came in third with 14 while Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa wound up fourth with 12.

The top three placers will team up to take on Ato Agustin, Pido Jarencio and Boyet Fernandez in the
Legends Shootout in Baguio Saturday.

Falling by the wayside after the elimination round were Larry Fonacier (14), Kerby Raymundo (13),
reigning champion William Antonio (11), Renren Ritualo (10) and Nino Gelig (six). Miller
topped the eliminations with 19 followed by Hontiveros with 16 and Caguioa and David with 15 apiece.

Canaleta went on to win a record third straight slam dunk competition with his chief rivals falling one
after another on a missed jam.

The Air21 leaper wowed the crowd by taking off just after the free throw line then soaring above a man for a thunderous one-hander. He followed it up with a windmill side-winder to beat Jay Washington, 79-54, in the finals.

A serious threat in Kelly Williams failed to make it past the elims as the Sta. Lucia prized Fil-Am failed to convert twice a between-the-legs jam.

Others entered in the event were Santos, Espinas, Aaron Aban and Ronald Tubid.

Miller failed to make good his vow to win the three-point shootout but still had something to crow
about at the close of the skills events since he beat David by a second in topping the obstacle challenge.

The former Letran Knight clocked 30 seconds to David’s 31 seconds and Miranda’s and Alex Cabagnot’s similar 50-second clockings in the obstacle challenge finals.

VERGEL Meneses will never forget his first stint as a judge in the PBA All-Star Week.

The former MVP who appeared in 10 All-Stars got the surprise of his life when a person managed to acquire his hotel room keys by casually asking it from front desk personnel before taking away some P80,000 in cash and valuables Thursday.

Meneses said that the robbery happened at a time when he was acting as a judge for the Slam Dunk contest at the Pacoy Ortega Gym in San Fernando, La Union, with his mother, children and friends watching the event.

By the time the group returned to the Puerto San Juan Resort Hotel, some eight kilometers northwest of San Fernando, La Union, Meneses was surprised when the front desk personnel handed him only the duplicate of his room keys.

According to initial reports, somebody had asked for and got the key to Meneses’ room, which he shares with his mother Soledad, children and some other relatives and friends.

The four-time All-Stars MVP, together with the hotel staff, immediately reported the incident to the police and San Fernando mayor Mary Jane Ortega and governor Victor Ortega, who both promised to exhaust all means to solve the case.

Meanwhile, Meneses has obtained a certified true copy of the police report and will use it to make a case against the hotel’s front desk personnel and owner.

According to Meneses, who was the PBA MVP in 1995 and the first back-to-back slam dunk champion (1992-93), those which were taken were his wallet containing some P15,000, a mini I-pod, a video I-pod, speakers, a digital camera and some cellular phones.

Meneses said he left his wallet in the room because it was his mother who usually picks up the tab whenever they all go out.

Meneses was supposed to share a room with co-judge Samboy Lim but opted to get a separate room that can accommodate his entire entourage.

The incident will come as a sad chapter to an All-Stars week nearing its end, with only the game between the South and North All-Star teams to be played.

It took away some glitter of the victories pulled off by Dondon Hontiveros in the Three-Point Shot event, by Dennis Miranda in the Trick Shot, and of course, the show put on by KG Canaleta in the Slam Dunk contest.

The former University of the East stalwart became the first player in PBA history to win the Slam Dunk three times in a row, defeating this time Jay Washington of Talk ‘N Text in the Finals.

Hontiveros beat Willie Miller, Mark Caguioa and Gary David in the last round to become the league’s new three-point king, while Miranda outshone Ranidel de Ocampo.

BAGUIO CITY -- Asi Taulava said "it's a given" they would win. Mark Caguioa answered back with words suggesting the same.

Taulava and Caguioa lead their respective teams as they fight for pride and bragging rights in the 2007 PBA All-Star Game at the University of Baguio gym here Sunday night.

Members of the contending North and South Teams are looking to have fun but promise just the same not to just watch and let the other steal the show in the main feature of the All-Star Week supported by Victory Liner, San Miguel Corp., Air21, Accel, Coke, Pagcor, PCSO and World of Fun.

The Legends Shootout, pitting Dondon Hontiveros, Willie Miller and Gary David against retired players Ato Agustin, Pido Jarencio and Boyet Fernandez, precede the much-awaited All-Star Game with the retired PBA players eyeing a fourth straight win since the event began in 2004 in Cebu City.

PBA commissioner Noli Eala pointed out that the game’s different undertones should make it a real treat for the people of the city of pines.

“Our host city has rolled out the red carpet for us and it is only fitting we return the hosts’ warm welcome by giving the fans something to remember for a long, long time,” said Eala during a press conference at the Baguio Country Club Friday.

Coaches Jong Uichico of the North Team and Tim Cone of the South Team said fans would get their money's worth.

Siyempre, gusto ng lahat manalo kaya there is still some pressure, notwithstanding the fact that it is supposed to be a fun game,” said Uichico, who was undefeated in his two previous All-Star Game stints -- in 2001 and last year with the South All-Stars. “Sa umpisa, gusto lang ng bawat isang mapasaya ang mga fans. Pero habang nagtatagal na, iyung competitive spirit ng players, lalabas at lalabas."

It's a pride thing," agreed Cone who is in a record-tying fifth coaching stint in the All-Star Game, putting him in the company o Sonny Jaworski and Derick Pumaren..

It's a virtual Game Seven with the two teams having split the first six games under the North vs South format of this annual mid-season spectacle.

Caguioa and his teammates are looking to make a show while playing on home turf, just the way they did in Laoag City in 2005.

Jayjay Helterbrand, who frolicked for 38 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in Laoag, teams up with Caguioa, Danny Ildefonso, Romel Adducul and Kerby Raymundo as they lead their team's bid against the South which, on the other hand, has Taulava, Danny Seigle, Kelly Williams, James Yap and Hontiveros as starters.

Eric Menk, voted as a starter for the South, is sitting out the game due to a calf injury.

Red Bull’s Cyrus Baguio was also supposed to come off the bench for the South but a recent heart attack to his father forced him to miss out not only the game but also the Slam Dunk competition last Thursday.

Left as the South reserves are Sunday Salvacion, Sonny Thoss, Jimmy Alapag, Ronald Tubid, Tony dela Cruz and Roger Yap.

The North relievers are Enrico Villanueva, Ranidel de Ocampo, Larry Fonacier, Gary David, John Arigo and Mark Cardona. Villanueva will be the team's sixth man as he emerged as the top vote-getter here.

The South won the All-Star Game in Cagayan de Oro last year with Taulava emerging as the MVP after finishing with 30 points, 16 rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 122-120 win which also had Roger Yap playing a key role in the endgame.

Taulava, who also shared All-Star Game MVP honors with Alapag in 2004 in Cebu City, is confident he can come out with another MVP-like performance and lead the team to back-to-back victories.

BAGUIO CITY. – Jay-Jay Helterbrand and Willie Miller put up class acts and led the North All-Stars to a stirring 145-142 come-from-behind win over the South squad in the 2007 PBA All-Star Game at the University of Baguio gym here Sunday night.

Helterbrand paced the North with 25 points, including the team’s last eight points, while Miller came through with the first-ever triple-double performance by any player in an All-Star Game with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
They were later adjudged co-Most Valuable Players to the roaring approval of the highly appreciative crowd that filled to the rafters the venue that had a sitting capacity of 4,000.

Helterbrand and Miller stood out from an array of stars that shone brightly in the classic game that provided a climactic ending to the five-day mid-season spectacle.

With a previous All-Star MVP award won in Laoag City in 2004, Helterbrand is now the fourth player with at least two All-Star MVP plums after Vergel Meneses, Asi Taulava and Benjie Paras. The Ginebra spitfirish guard erupted for 38 points and 10 assists in Laoag.

Miller, meanwhile, became the seventh player with MVP awards in the regular season and in the All-Star Game, joining the ranks of Meneses, Taulava, Paras, Allan Caidic, Danny Ildefonso and Kenneth Duremdes.

The league MVP in 2002, Miller completed his triple double with an assist to Helterbrand who streaked for a fastbreak lay-up, giving the North team a 145-140 cushion, time down to 10.6 ticks remaining.

Kerby Raymundo pulled down an all-time All-Star Game high of 18 rebounds that went with 18 points while three other North All-Stars in Gary David, Danny Ildefonso, Mark Caguioa, Romel Adducul and Rico Villanueva also finished in double figures.

Kelly Williams had a spectacular debut in an All-Star Game with 28 points and 10 points. He had a chance to tie the count in the closing seconds but missed a slam on an alley-oop throw-in by Jimmy Alapag.

Sta. Lucia’s prized Fil-Am also made a record, becoming the first rookie to collect double-double numbers in the All-Star Game. He was the second rookie to lead an All-Star team in scoring after Boy Cabahug in 1989.

“We had fun and great satisfaction after winning the game,” said coach Jong Uichico, who improved his All-Star Games win-loss record to 3-0.

Curiously, Uichico won his second All-Star Game with the South squad in Cagayan de Oro City last year.

The South showed great determination to invade the North’s turf by coming out strong to lead by as many as 20 points right in the opening quarter.

The North team, however, buckled down to work and made giant strides in the two middle-quarters, getting ahead at 114-109 going into the payoff period.

Uichico and his boys worked on a great turnaround that they enjoyed double-digit spreads in the final quarter after falling behind by 22 at the start of the second period.

Williams gave the South team its largest lead at 68-46 on a “three-point jam.”

With North's victory in the high-scoring duel, the North-South-North-South win trend has just continued.

It was in fact the highest-scoring All-Star Game since the event was institutionalized in 1989. The combined outputs of the two teams in the first quarter and the opening half also went down as new records, as was the 22 being the biggest lead overhauled en route to a win in an All-Star Game.